Multiple-key lock.



J. J. MURPHY.

MULTIPLE KEY LOCK. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1909. RENEWED SEPT. 20,1912.

1 ,05 9 ,684, Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. MURPHY, OF TERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO EAGLE LOCK CO.,

OF TERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

MULTIPLE-KEY LOCK.

Application filed March 22, 1909, Serial No. 485,025.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES J. MURPHY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Terryville, in the county of'Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Multiple-Key Locks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute partof this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of a multiple-key lock constructed inaccordance with my invention and shown as locked. Fig. 2 a view thereofin rear elevation, with the back-cap removed. Fig. 3 a View of the lockin front elevation with the front-cap removed. Fig. i a view in frontelevation of the lock with the front-cap and all of the two-parttumblers removed. In this view the clients key is shown as turned as faras it will go with the effect of moving the main-bolt sufficiently tobring the notch 39 of the key-disk 34. into registration with the nose33 of the locking-pawl 30. Fig. 5 a view in transverse section on theline (4-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 a detached view of the slidingplate employedfor the carriage of the tumbler-post. Fig. 7 a detached view of thering-like plate-cam employed for imparting rectilinear movement to theslidingplate. Fig. 8 a broken inside view of the front-cap of thelock-case, showing the cam. on the inner end of the plug or cylinder ofthe guard-key lock. Fig. 9 a detached per spective view of the key-disklooking at the same from the front. Fig. 10 a detached perspective viewof the keycenter disk looking at the same from the rear. Fig. 11 a viewof the clients key. Fig. 12 a view of the supplemental lock key. Fig. 13a view of the guard-key.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of multiple-keytwo-part tumbler locks which are provided with supplemental locks forpreventing the surreptitious resetting of the two-part tumblers of thelook after the lock has been unlocked and the box opened by thecoordinate use of the guard-key held by the bank, and the change keyheld by the customer renting the box of the bank, the object of myinvention being to provide simple, reliable, convenient Specification ofIietters latent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

Renewed September 20, 1912. Serial No. 721,516.

and effective supplemental locking mechanism for looks of this class.

Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a two-part tumblermultiple-key lock having certain details of construction andcombinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed outin the claims.

For the illustration of my invention, I have shown it as applied toamultiple-key two-part tumbler lock of the type shown and described inU. S. Patent No. 860,940, granted July 23, 1907, to the Eagle Lock Co.on the application of James Roche.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I mount the tumbler-post2 upon a sliding plate 3 forming, as it were, a tumbler-post carriage.This plate has bearing upon the rear or outer face of the back of thelock-case 4 as shown in Fig. 2, and is confined in place and limited torectilinear movement in line with the lock-case by slotted guide-stumps5 passing through slots 6 elongated in the direction of the case andformed near the upper and lower edges of the plate, which, as well asthe parts coacting with it, is housed in a shallow back plate or cap 7secured to the back of the case by screws 8. For the operation of theplate 3, it is formed with a cam-opening 9 the walls of which aresuitably shaped to coact with a ringlike plate-cam 10 having a centralopening 11 whereby it is non-rotatably mounted upon the plug or cylinder12 of a supplemental pin-tumbler lock, the sides of the cylinder 12being flattened as at 13 to conform to the flattened sides 13* of theopening 11 in the cam 10. The cam-opening 9 in the plate 3 and theexternal form of the plate-cam 10 are shaped so that the turning of thesaid plate-cam within the said opening will slide the plate 3 back andforth in line with the length of the case l and so eifect thelongitudinal movement of the tumbler-post 2 the inner end of which isriveted in the said plate.

The supplemental lock herein shown, is of the pin-tumbler type anddesigned to receive a flat corrugated key 14 which I shall hereafterrefer to as the managers key for the reason that it is designed that itshall be held by the bank-manager as dis tinguished from the subordinatebank employee who holds the guard-key 15'to be described later on.

In order to lock the outer end rof the tumbler-post 2, I preferablyemploy a locking-lever 16 (Fig, 1) bearing upon the front face of thefront-cap or plate 17 of the lockcase, and swinging upon a pivot 18riveted in the said cap which is secured in place by screws 19. Theouter end of the lever 16 forms acurved finger-'20 the curved inner edgeof which engages with the projecting outer end of the post 2 and exertsan effort to draw the same inward toward the inner end of a slot 21formed in the cap 17 for the projection through it of the outer end ofthe post which is thus locked at its outer end by the arm 20 and theinner end of the wall of the slot 21. At its inner end the lever 16 isformed with a slot 22 for the reception of an operating-pin 23 locatedat the outer end of one of the screws 24 employed to secure theplate-cam 25 to the inner end of the cylinder 12, the other screw 26employed for this purpose being of ordinary construction. The said cam25 prevents the cylinder 12 from being moved from front to rear in itschamber 27 in the lockcase and also coacts with a positioning pin 28 inbringing the plug to rest with its pintumblers in line with the socketsformed for their reception in the usual manner not requiring descriptionor illustration here since in its main features the supplemental lockemployed is of well known construction and operation. The entrance ofthe pin 23 into the slot 22 in the supporting-lever 16 causes the sameto be swung on its pivot 18 so that when the supplemental lock is lockedthe lever 16 will be forced into the position in which it is shown inFig. 1 in which it assists, as described, in supporting the outer end ofthe non-rotatable, but longitudinally movable tumbler-post 2.

In order to make the operation of the supplemental-lock conditional uponthe preceding use of the change or customers key, I employ a locking-cam29 non-rotatably mounted upon the rear end of the cylinder 12 so as tobear upon the rear or outer face of the sliding plate 3 as shown in Fig.2, and coacting with the rounded nose of a locking-pawl 30 having aspring 31, bearing upon the rear face of the back of the lockcase 4 asshown in Fig. 2, hung upon a pivot 32, and formed with a locking-tooth33 which normally rides upon the edge of a disk 34 housed within ashallow cap 35 having cars 36 by means of which it is secured by rivets37 to the rear face of the back of the lock-case 4, whereby the saiddisk 34 is centered over a circular opening 38 formed in the back of thecase and a trifle smaller than the diameter of the said disk the edge ofwhich rests upon the rear face of the back of the case. The said disk 34is formed in its periphery with a notch 39 which receives the" tooth 33when the notch 39 is brought into registration with the tooth 33 by theproper rotation of the disk 34 as will be de scribed later on. It isonly when the notch 39 has been registered with the tooth 33 that thelocking-pawl 30 can be moved by the locking-cam 29 so as to permitthe'rotation of the cylinder 12 of the supplemental lock for therectilinear movement of the plate 3 carrying the tumble-post 2. The saiddisk 34 is also formed with a concentric segmental slot 40 receiving astop-pin 41 pro jecting into it from the said cap 35 in position tocoact with the end 42 of the slot 40 so as to stop the rotation of thedisk 34 from right to left with the operating-pin 43 carried by the diskjust to the left of the keyway 44 in the center-shank 45 which receivesthe clients or change-key 46 as shown in Fig. 3. In this connection Imay state that the clients key 46 acting through the medium of theoperating-pin 43, turns the disk 34 from left to right so as to engagethe opposite face of the said pin 43 as shown in Fig. 4, with theshoulder 47 of the main bolt 48 which is in this way moved just enoughto engage its locking-abutment 49 with a guard-hook 50, this slightmovement of the bolt being required to permit the disk 34 to be rotatedsufliciently from left to right to register its notch 39 with the tooth33 of the locking-pawl 30. As to the opposite end 51 of the slot 40, itis only required that it shall be long enough to permit the disk 34 torotate sufficiently not to interfere with the shooting of the bolt 4into its unlocked position.

To provide for restoring the disk 34 to its normal posit-ion andtherefore for repositioning the pin 43, (by which I mean returm ing itfrom the position it has in Fig. 4 to the position it has in Fig. 3), Iemploy a disk 52 arranged concentric with the disk 34 to which itsubstantially corresponds in diameter, and located in the circularopening 38 formed as aforesaid in the back of the lock-case 4 and shownin Fig. 5, the disk 52 being shouldered to conform to a bearing shoulderformed in the said opening. The disk 52 has an irregular central opening53 for the reception of the inner end of the center-shank 45 by means ofwhich the disk is operated. For this reason I shall hereafter call thedisk 52 the key-center disk to distinguish it from the disk 34 which Ishall hereafter call the key-disk for the reason that it is operated bythe change or clients key. The disk 52 has a segmental slot 54 receivingthe said operating-pin 43 with which the upper or right hand end of theslot engages so that when the disk 34 is turned from right to left bythe turning of the clients key 46 from right to left pre paratory toremoving the said key,the disk 52 will, through the medium of the pin43, carry the disk 34 back into its starting position in which it isshown in Figs 3 and 5,

' permit the teeth 58 of the main part of each the pin 43 and turn thekey-disk 34 from left verse slot 63 for the reception of a stump tweenthe respective two-part tumblers for 52 being turned-directly by theshank 45 which is itself turned by the key. Any key introduced into thelock through the key-center 55 and centershank 45 and turned from leftto right will engage with the disk to right for a distance dependentupon the. character of the key. hen the key is turned back preparatoryto its removal, the center-shank 45 will turn the key-center disk 52which through the medium of the pin 43, will act to turn the key-disk 34back to the position from which it was started. But no key but thespecial clients key 46 to which the lock is set at the time, will carrythe keydisk 34 far enough from left to right to bring its notch 51 intoregistration with the tooth 33 of the locking-pawl 30. Therefore no keybut the right or legitimate key, as it may be called, can be put intothe lock and operated so as to pave the way for the op eration of thesupplemental-lock in bodily moving the tumbler-post 2 from right to leftso as to separate the parts 56, 57, of the two-part tumblers, which, asshown, are the same in construction and operation as those shown anddescribed in Patent No. 666,697 granted January 29, 1901, to the EagleLock Co. on the application of James Roche.

The main part 56 of each tumbler is centrally cut away to form a largedeep notch in which the supplemental part 57 is mainly located, theforward wall of the said notch being formed with teeth 58 intermeshedwith corresponding teeth 59 upon the outer end of the supplemental part57 having the key-sweep 60. The main part 56 of each tumbler is formedwith a stump-slot 61 for the reception of the stump 62 carried by themain-bolt 48. Each of the supplemental parts 57 is formed as usual witha trans- 64 extending fro-m the front cap 17 of the lock through saidslots 63. Thin sheet-metal spacers 66 are by preference interposedbepreventing the friction of one from being transmitted to the other.

The main part 56 of each tumbler is formed at its inner end with a roundpivot hole 67 for the reception of the post 2, while the supplementalpart 57 of each tumbler is formed with a slot 68 for the same purpose,but long enough to provide for the sufiicientendwise movement of thepost 2 to tumbler to be disengaged from the teeth 59 of the supplementalpart thereof. To hold the supplemental parts of the tumblers againstendwise movement with the main parts thereof, the supplemental part ofeach tumbler is-formed with a transverse slot 69 receiving aretainingpin 70 the outer end of which 1s mounted 111 the front cap 17of the case, While 1ts inner end enters a step 1 71 located upon theinner face of the back of the case, and within the long guide-slot 72 inthe main bolt 48.

When by the use of the clients key 46 to which the lock has been set,the notch 39 of the key-disk 34 has been brought into registration withthe tooth 33 of the lockingpawl 30, the cylinder 12 of the supplementallock may be turned by its key, to move the plate 3 outwardly so as tobodily move the tumbler-post 2 in a right line and therefore the mainparts 56 of the tumblers without disturbing the supplemental parts 57thereof. lVith the respective parts of the twopart tumblers thusdisengaged, the lock may be set to a new, change key to which thekey-sweeps 60 of the supplemental parts 57 of the tumblers willautomatically ad' just themselves when the new .key is introduced intothe lock. The new key is turned from left to right as far as it will go,and so as to act through the pin 43 in the manner already described inturning the disk 34 siiifliciently to bring its notch 51 intoregistration with the tooth 33 of the locking-pawl 30 which permits thesupplemental key to be used in turning the cylinder 12 back so as tomove the plate 3 in the opposite direction, whereby the tumbler-post 2and the main parts 56 of all of the twopart tumblers are bodily movedfrom left to right causing the main parts of the tumblers to berecoupled with the supplemental parts of the tumblers in the newpositions of the latter. The lock is now set to a new clients key and'the supplemental lock key will be returned into the hands of the managerof the bank.

Normally the two-part tumblers are rigid and operate as though made inone piece notwithstanding their described capacity for being resettodifferent keys. They have, therefore, the functional advantages ofonepiece tumblers.

Although forming no part of my present invention, I may further explainthat the main-bolt 48 cannot be operated by the clients key until it hasbeen released from the guard-hook 50 which bears upon the bottom of thecase 4 and is hung upon a short-stud 73. A spring 74 applied to the book50 exerts a constant effort to engage the nose thereof with the abutment49 at the end of the bolt. The said hook is operated against the tensionof its spring 74, by a pin 75 carried by it and engaged by a cam 76 onthe inner end of the plug 77 of a pin-tumbler guard-key lock 78 of anyapproved construction, mounted in the front cap 17 of the lock-case 4and operated by the guard-key 15. In this respect the lock of my presentinvention follows the lock of Patent No. 860,946 already referred to.

In the'use of my improved lock some employee of the bank must go to thelock with its appropriate guard-key 15 and operate the guard-key lockfor disengaging the hook 50 from the bolt 48 before the depositor canuse his change key 4:6 for the completion of the unlocking of the bolt.Neither the depositor with his change-key, nor the holder of theguard-key can operate the lock independently of the other, and neitherthe depositornor the holder of the guard-key can reset the lock to a newchange key which cannot be done without the presence of not only theperson holding the guardkey, but also the person holding the change keyand the person holding the managers key 14 of this particular lock. Inother words, the resetting of the lock to a new change-key necessitatesthe presence of the managers key without which the two-part tumblerscannot be separated preparatory to being reset.

I do not limit myself to the particular construction shown and describedas locks of this character will be varied in their details ofconstruction to meet the requirements of diiierent safe-depositcompanies and other users, my present invention residing in means forbodily moving one part of each of the two-part tumblers in a right linepreparatory to resetting them while the other part remains at rest. Inthis connection I may point out. that when a 1'0- tatable eccentrictumbler-post is used to separate and re-unite the two parts of atwo-part tumbler as illustrated, for instance, in Patents Nos. 666,697and 860,9et0, both parts of the tumble-rs are to some extent moved sothat there is no absolute certainty that when they are re-united theirteeth will be presented to each other so as to intermesh withoutdestroying the integrity of the resetting as it is in'ipractical toconstruct the parts with sufficient perfection to avoid this result.Thus if in re-locking the two parts of a tumbler, the teeth of therespective parts come together on the points of the teeth, there is nocertainty which way the final coupling will be made; that is, on whichside of the teeth. If it happens that the teeth. veer off and intermeshon the wrong side, then the new adjustment of the tumblers will be lost.This objection is avoided by my present invention for the reason thatone part of each tumbler is given a pure rectilinear movement while theother part remains at rest.

1. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are con structed tobe reset for co-action with different keys, one of the said parts beingconstructed to have rectilinear movement, of means for impartingrectilinear movement to the said part of the tumbler in resetting thetumbler.

2. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed tobe reset for coaction with different keys, one of the said parts beingconstructed to have rectilinear movement, of means for impartingrectilinear movementto the said part of the tumbler in resetting thetumbler, and means for locking the said means for moving the said partof the tumbler.

3. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part levertumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed to bereset for co-act-ion with different keys, one of the said parts beingconstructed to have rectilinear movement, of means for impartingrectilinear movement to the said movable part of the tumbler inresetting the tumbler.

4:. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed tobe reset for co-action with different keys, one of the said parts beingconstructed to have rectilinear movement, of means for impartingrectilinear movement to the said movable part of the tumbler inresetting the tumbler, while the other partthereof being supported by akey remains at rest;

5. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with normally rigid two-partlever tumblers the respective parts whereof are constructed to be resetfor coaction with difierent keys, of a tumbler-post passing through therespective parts of the tumblers, and means I for moving the post in aright line for moving one part of each tumbler in a right line while theother part remains at rest.

6. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with normally rigid two-partlever tumblers the respective parts whereof are constructed to be resetfor coaction with different keys, of a tumbler-post passing through thesaid tumblers, a sliding plate or carriage in which the said post ismounted, and means for moving the said plate or carriage for impartingbodily movement in a right line to the said post.

7. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereofare constructed to bereset for coaction with different keys, of a tumbler post, a slidingplate or carriage for the said post, means for operating the said plateor carriage'whereby the Said post is bodily moved in a right line, and alock for locking the said means.

8. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigid twopart lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed to bereset for coaction with different keys, of a tumbler-post, a slidingplate or carriage for the said post, a plate-cam for moving the saidplate or carriage in a right line, and a supplemental lock for lockingthe said plate-cam.

9. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with normally rigid two-partlever tumblers the respective parts whereof are constructed to be resetfor coaction with different keys, of a post for the said tumblers, asliding plate or carriage for the said post, a platecam for moving thesaid sliding-plate or carriage in a right line, and a key-tumbler lockhaving a cylinder upon which the said plate-cam is mounted and by whichit is rotated for operating the plate or carriage.

10. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed tobe reset for coaction with different keys, of a tumbler-post, a slidingplate or carriage in which the said post is mounted, means for movingthe said plate or carriage in a right line, and means for locking theouter end of the post.

11. In a multiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed tobe reset for coaction with different keys, of a tumbler-post, a slidingcarriage therefor moving in a right line, and a locking lever coactingwith the outer end of the post for locking the same.

12. In a multiple-key lock, the combina-- tion with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed tobe reset for coaction with different keys, of a tumbler-post, a slidingcarriage therefor moving in a right line, means for locking the outerend of the post when in its normal position, and means for moving thecarriage in a right line and for operating the said post-locking means.

13. In amultiple-key lock, the combination with a normally rigidtwo-part lever tumbler the respective parts whereof are constructed tobe reset for coaction with different keys, of a tumbler-post, a slidingcarriage therefor moving in a right line, a plate-cam for operating thesaid carriage, a pin-tumbler lock upon the cylinder on which the saidplate-cam is mounted, a lever for coaction with the outer end of thesaid post for locking it in its normal position, and connection betweenthe said lever and cylinder for the operation of the former by thelatter.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES J. MURPHY. Witnesses Orrs B. HoUeH, HARRY C. Grow.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Yatenta, Washington, D. G.

